A Royal Screw Up
by CCNilesBabcock
Summary: Co-written w/ CrownedLioness Niles and C.C. have grown close after the Guild awards. *Very* close. But their fledgling relationship will soon be threatened by a collosal secret that has the potential to royally screw everything up. Will they make it? Or will duty get in the way?
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1**_

The bed couldn't have felt more comfortable if it had tried. And it already had everything going for it to make it the most comfortable place to rest possible; crisp linen sheets, fluffy pillows soft and plump with down, a warm blanket spread over the top to keep out any invasive, unwanted chill...

No, this bed was going the extra mile. Niles was certain it had to be floating somewhere between Earth and the heavens - perhaps this was the elusive Cloud Nine, that so many people talked about but rarely ever got to experience? He liked to think that it was...

Perhaps it was simply him that had reacted Cloud Nine, and maybe it was all down to the gorgeous, utterly beguiling and bewitching woman who was snuggled in beside him? She was wearing only his shirt and had her leg hooked over his hip, as they watched a movie in her bed after an extremely pleasant last few hours.

If anybody had told him years before that he would one day be in C.C. Babcock's penthouse, in bed with her like this, he would've laughed at them until he'd turned blue in the face and keeled over from a lack of oxygen!

But that had been before the Broadway Guild Awards. They'd...well, he could call it "made love" now, but back then he'd simply said that they had spent the night together. And neither had been embarrassed by it, or uncomfortable. She'd even given him a kiss, before they'd gone to their respective work tasks that morning!

If anything, it had made things a lot more interesting when they'd continued to play their games, too. Every little movement had been flirtatious, every word dancing around what could or could not happen next...

There had been...accidental touches. And not-so-accidental ones, as well.

It had reached a point where they had simply had to come out and face the truth of what they wanted. And so, they had started these...secret date meetings? Niles wasn't sure what else to call them. They hadn't exactly made themselves official to anybody yet (not even their friends), or said...anything which implied a long term commitment. They were nicer to each other between their zingers, and cuddled and he took her out to fun or exciting places and other things like that, but that didn't make an established relationship all by itself.

He was still glad they'd faced the truth, though. He thought that one of them was bound to have exploded, otherwise!

And speaking of explosions, part of him could've very easily blown up at the phone as it started to ring, for daring to disturb their peace. Instead, as he didn't want to get too annoyed, he merely gave a loud groan.

Even C.C. grumbled a little in her chest, but he felt her shift to start to rise, and she rolled over to get out of bed and answer. She probably felt it was her duty to answer every phone call the theatre or Mr Sheffield sent her way...

That was why Niles had taken it upon himself to perform the duty of stopping her from answering every phone call sent her way.

He didn't want her to move a muscle right then (not for something that involved getting out of bed, anyway), so he wound his arms around her waist and held her there. They could let one call go - they'd call back if it was important, and the movie was getting boring.

Luckily, he'd had an idea for something they could do to pass the time instead.

"Let it ring," he murmured as he brought her in close, brushing his lips against her ear. "They aren't going to want to hear what I've got planned for you..."

He guessed that C.C. might've been rolling her eyes, but he couldn't quite see to check. All he heard was her throaty chuckle, as she started to disentangle herself from his arms.

"Oh, stop it," she leaned her head back and kissed the corner of his mouth. "I'll get rid of them as soon as I can. Then _I_ want to hear all about these "plans" myself..."

Niles pretended to consider for a long while (actually briefly weighing up how distracted she might be if the phone was left unanswered), but eventually he released her with a lopsided grin that only melted more as he watched her hips sway on the way to the phone.

He'd never tire of that sight...

She picked up the phone swiftly, obviously with the intention of getting rid of the person on the other end just as quickly, too.

"Hello?"

Niles hoped she'd be able to - sometimes calls with the theatre could take hours, and they nearly always ended with her being ticked off at something...

The only consolation was that he got to soothe her afterwards. Maybe he'd suggest a massage for this time, if that was the case...?

"Oh, hello!" C.C.'s voice immediately brightened. "I wasn't expecting the pleasure of your call!"

Niles' eyebrow shot up, curious and confused all at once. C.C. never spoke to anybody on the phone like that! She was never that happy to hear from most people, and she was certainly never that formal!

Who could it be? Her father? No, she wouldn't be speaking to him like that - she adored her father, she'd be much less reserved. The man wasn't around at all and Niles had never met him, so he couldn't be certain what kept him so busy. But it was clear that there was nothing wrong with their relationship, no matter how far apart they were.

Perhaps it was her brother? No, she'd be even less formal than if she was speaking to her father.

He ruled out her mother, as well. They loved each other to the point where C.C. would've loudly declared that her mother was speaking down the phone. Besides, they met regularly for lunches and brunches - a call at this time was unusual.

"I'm perfectly well. Everything is running just fine. Well, better than fine, actually. How are things with you?" C.C. asked, pausing for the answer. That was when the smile started to drop from her face. "What do you mean?"

Niles felt his stomach dip. The immediate serious tone had him on alert, but he wasn't yet ready to leap out of bed and into action. That would depend on how the rest of the conversation turned out.

Just because things had gotten serious, didn't mean C.C. needed him yet.

Though the longer the caller spoke, the more the producer's fell.

"What? What are you talking about?!" she demanded to know. She sounded...like she couldn't believe what she was hearing? "That...that can't be possible! It can't–"

She was cut off by the person calling, who spoke for a long time, and she clung to the phone like it was a lifeline. A lifeline that didn't stop her from falling backwards and collapsing helplessly against the wall, her face pale and visibly distressed.

"Are they absolutely sure? Have they tried everything? I recently heard about a new surgery that could-"

She was silenced by the person on the other end, her mouth forming a hard line as her attempt at saving...someone...was dismissed without much thought.

When it eventually came to her turn to speak again - it sounded like she was elbowing the words in - she was desperate beyond all measure. She managed to push herself off the wall again and set to pacing back and forth.

"No – no, there must be something they can do! More treatment, a new procedure! They carry out this stuff every day and you're telling me they can't try again?!"

She waited for the answer, running a hand through her hair, which eventually clasped down over her mouth, as though trying to hold in a scream.

That was when Niles felt his stomach take a nosedive. Oh, God - what had happened?! It was obvious that someone was very seriously ill, but who?! There were so very few people in C.C.'s life, that it was difficult to think that she'd hear about it without him also hearing at the same time!

He swung his legs out of bed, ready to get up and go to her. Whatever was going on and whoever was so desperately sick, she needed him there - it was clear that this was breaking her heart, and he couldn't just sit there while it happened!

He watched with a heavy heart as she nodded at something they said, squeezing her eyes shut painfully as tears slid out, and wrestled her hand away to try and not entirely sob into the phone.

"Alright...I'll...I'll be there as soon as I can...! Goodbye!"

She hung up the phone, but the despair was clearly too much, as she dissolved into tears right in front of Niles' eyes.

That was too much for the butler to handle, too. He leapt up from the bed and was at her side in an instant, alarm bells ringing at a deafening volume in his head.

What had happened?! How was he supposed to make this better?!

He didn't even know where to start!

Did he talk? Let her talk first? What if she didn't want to tell him what was wrong? How could he live with knowing there was something making her feel so awful, and he didn't even know what it was, so he couldn't even be sure how to fix it?!

Perhaps he should ask? And maybe do something to make her feel comfortable enough to tell him the answer? That way, it was her choice if she told him everything or barely anything at all, and he would have tried to find out, rather than leaving it.

Yes. That was what he had to do. There was a greater chance she'd never tell him if he didn't ask, than if he did.

What kind of...well, they hadn't given themselves terms yet - if they ever would. But what kind of a person would he be if he just let it all go, without even making an effort?

He tried very slowly to put his arms around her, hesitating in case she didn't actually want to be held. He didn't want to make a wrong move, or not let her have the space that she wanted, or do a host of things which might come across as inappropriate when all he wanted to do was help...

"What happened?" he asked, keeping his voice at a low murmur. "Did someone–"

His words were cut off as she turned and launched herself into his arms in a full hug. The shock from it nearly made Niles stagger, but he managed to hold on. Managed to hold her. He wrapped his arms around her back and held her as tightly as she was holding him, crying into his shoulder.

Niles thought he could feel his heart being crushed into a fine powder. Whatever had happened, it was devastating her, and it pained him to think that it was so much – so overwhelming – that she couldn't even tell him!

Very gently, he picked her up in his arms and walked them both back to bed. C.C. snuggled into him immediately after and, for the longest of times, they remained like that, cinched in a tight embrace as C.C. wept. Neither said anything – she was in no state to talk, and Niles wasn't about to force it out of her.

She'd tell him in due time, if she so chose. If she didn't, then he was still happy to provide a secure embrace and a shoulder for her to cry on. The only time when he had to briefly part with her, was to call the mansion to let the family know he was caught up in something. Miss Fine had naturally tried to probe where she really shouldn't, but Niles had shot that idea down before much insistence from the nanny's part.

He took the opportunity to also whip something up for C.C. to eat, but she refused to take even the tiniest of bites, claiming she couldn't stomach anything. Again, he understood, and soon they'd resumed their previous position of C.C. cuddled next to him as he held her.

"That…that was my grandmother," she eventually choked out, not looking at him as she spoke. "She called to…to tell me that…that Dad is not okay. It's…it's cancer. Inoperable. They've said he's got a few days to a few weeks left."

Niles felt his jaw drop open, and he made no attempt to rectify it, or to do anything other than hold her tighter. He could feel her starting to shake, her body preparing to burst into fresh tears, and he knew there was nothing he could do to stop it.

No words could prevent the death of a beloved family member, or the painful mourning that came with it. Nothing could make what was coming any better, and it was crushing Niles on the inside to know that there was simply nothing he could do.

He was used to being able to turn things around. To being able to get something for someone, to make them happy and to bring them the comfort they needed. But he couldn't be a butler for this – he couldn't fetch back the life that was being snatched from her father, nor could he offer treatment or relief.

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry," he whispered into her hair instead, listening as her whimpers got louder. "I...I'm here...if there's anything you need - anything at all..."

"There…there isn't anything to be done…" she said in between sobs, burrowing into him. "She…she told me we have to say our goodbyes. So…so I'll be taking a flight to Genovia tomorrow."

Genovia? Why…why would she need to go to Genovia?! The little English-speaking nation between Spain and France was one of the wealthiest nations in the world! Miss Babcock had never mentioned she had ties to it.

"Genovia?" he asked, rubbing her back "Does your father live in Genovia?"

C.C. froze for a moment, as though she had just heard something she had hoped she wouldn't.

But as she shifted in his arms and cuddled up as tightly as she could, she seemed to go back to...well, not "normal". That was the last thing that anybody would be, when they had found out that their father was dying!

She was just...less uncomfortable, than she appeared to have been only moments before.

"Yeah...yeah, he does..."

Even the way she was speaking about it didn't seem right. But Niles couldn't imagine that her mind was currently on how her words were coming out; getting them out at all was probably more than enough.

What did he do now, though? He'd heard how beautiful and refined Genovia was, but he hardly imagined that she'd want to talk about such things for the time being. It was possible that she wouldn't want to talk about her father at this time, either, so he refrained from asking what her father did, or why he lived there and not in New York.

He didn't want to force back memories that would only upset her more. Besides, there was probably a very simple explanation as to why he was there – Genovia practically epitomised wealth, so any businessman, or stock broker, or high-class attorney, or any of the other things he imagined C.C.'s father to be (he'd never actually asked) would naturally move there at some stage.

"I'll be flying back first thing in the morning..." she said with a sigh. "The flight's at 7 am..."

7 in the morning?! That gave them...five more hours until C.C. had to leave for the airport! She had to pack, take a shower, find her passport...there were far too many things that had to be dealt with, and she probably wasn't in the mood.

Maybe he could help? Draw her a bath and do all her packing while she relaxed (as much as it was possible, at any rate) in the tub. This was a far cry from the way he'd thought their night would go, but right now she needed him to be strong for her – he'd gladly forgo his plans if it meant helping her...

All he needed to do, was offer.

"Would you like me to draw you a bath?" he crooned, dropping a number of loving kisses on her forehead. "So you can relax while I do your packing?"

Sighing, C.C. reached up and cupped his cheek in her hand, using her thumb to stroke it. Her skin felt soft and smooth against the rugged outline of his features, and he could smell a faint hint of the perfume she had worn earlier...

"You are too good for me," she said, reaching up and kissing his chin, then the corner of his mouth, and finally full on the lips. "Thank you..."

Niles kissed her back with, again, as much love as he could muster – adoration, even. It was nothing less than she needed and deserved, at a time such as this. He didn't think himself too good for her, in any way shape or form, but he wasn't about to sit there and argue over her choice of words.

He had important matters to attend to, such as taking care of her bath. So, as much as it pained him to leave her side, he got up and went to the bathroom.

He knew he always ran the temperature to just how she liked it, and he was never stingy with adding bubbles, salts or oils to aid in relaxation. And he added plenty of all three that time, to create the most marvellous scents and aromas possible; roses and lavender, coconut and shea butter, peaches and apricots and mangoes...

He finished his handiwork by lighting some candles strategically placed around the tub, and left some warm, fluffy towels fresh from the laundry, ready to be used when she was done.

It smelled warm and sweet in there. Inviting, and comforting.

And that was exactly what C.C. needed, before she went back home to see her father.

He went back out to the bedroom, and with as much flair as he dared (he didn't want to be accused of mocking, or trivialising the situation), he announced that the bath was prepared.

"You will be met by aromatic bath salts, refreshing oils and bubble bath to help aid in relaxation," he added.

He hoped it would all help. He couldn't stand to see C.C. looking so miserable - it made him regret ever leaving her outside by herself to attend to the bath!

He knew there wasn't much he could say on the matter, but he was determined to do something. So, just like he had done before, he picked her up in his arms and he carried her to the bathroom.

A few moments later, he had helped her to discard his shirt and assisted her in getting into the water.

"That's it," he encouraged as she slowly submerged her body. "There we are...how does it feel? Not to hot?"

"It's perfect, thank you," she said with a sigh and giving him as much of a smile as she could muster. "You're wonderful."

Niles leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead, "No, you are. Now, try and relax while I pack your cases, alright? I'll whip something up once you are done, if you want me to."

C.C. shook her head no.

"I don't feel like eating," she said, sounding impossibly small – so small, that it broke his hear all over again. "Could you maybe make some tea?"

Niles said that yes, he would gladly prepare some tea for her and that she should just relax while he took care of everything. It wasn't a matter of him being gallant or romantic – she _needed_ him to take care of everything.

And he would. It was what he did best, after all, and for C.C., he would more than happily go the extra mile. In a time such as this, that went doubly so.

The feeling of losing a family member – especially one as close as a parent - was one every adult dreaded, even if they knew it was coming. Being prepared for it was impossible, no matter how much you tried. Sooner or later, the day would come and your heart would have to break. That was why it was always important to be surrounded by loved ones and the people you cared about.

If they cared about you just as much, they would see you through the most difficult time of all.

That was what he intended to do for C.C.. And if that started by making her a cup of tea, he was going to make it the best cup he could.

It was a far cry from the days of putting gym socks in her coffee, but well, that was a long time ago now. Between pranking her simply to get attention and making her a cup of tea after comforting her, he knew which he preferred doing.

While the kettle boiled, he even managed to get a head start on creating a list of things that had to go in her case. So, by the time he brought a tray with her tea back to the bathroom, he already had an idea of where he would start.

"Here we are," he announced softly as he arrived, settling the tray down on the nearest counter. "Now, I can get going on that packing for you..."

"No…" she said, looking up at him with big, sad eyes – big, beautiful sad eyes. Eyes that would forever drive him crazy. "I…can…can you stay?"

The way she spoke made Niles feel she was pleading with him – that she desperately needed him to stay there, with her. How could he refuse her? How could he ever say no to anything she said? Whether it was packing, cleaning, preparing a meal or just keeping her company, he was at her disposal. He was hers, and nothing else mattered.

"Of course," he said, kneeling at the side of the tub. "I'll keep you com–"

"I meant in here, with me," she cut him off, gesturing to the bathtub with her head. "I…right now I need you to hold me."

Niles leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"If that's what you need, then that's what I shall do…"

On any regular day, he'd complete a request like that in an instant. Today, of all days, he made an effort to be even quicker than that. He didn't wish to waste any time when C.C. had told him what she'd wanted.

Especially not when she needed it.

He pushed the tray away from the edge of the counter, not wanting to knock it, and immediately set about taking off the robe he'd put on to make the tea. He found it very comfortable to be nude around C.C.'s penthouse (it was something that had been established rather quickly), but that didn't extend to when he was handling boiling water!

He hung the robe up on the back of the door and, after C.C. had shuffled a forward and leaned over a little bit, he managed to step into the tub and settle himself down behind her. She then rested her back against his chest, her body between his legs, and sighed in the warm, welcoming feeling that it offered.

He stroked her arm, letting his fingertips stroke all the way up her shoulder.

"Comfortable?"

She nodded, clearly not in the mood to talk. Not that Niles blamed her – he knew just how devastating the death of a parent could be. His own father had passed away a few years back; he'd found out late at night, when his mother had called him from the UK. Much like in C.C.'s case, rushed packing and hopping on a plane had followed, all while nursing a kind of pain that simply wouldn't go away.

He'd been alone when he'd had to face his father's death, but she didn't have to be. He wouldn't let her. He'd be at her side, holding her through the worst and always offering her a shoulder to cry on. It was the least she deserved…

For the longest of times, neither spoke. They were frozen in time, cinched in a tight embrace that neither wanted to end. Cocooned in the warm water, the two of them simply let the world go past them, occasionally moving to exchange kisses or, in Niles' case, to wipe at her free-falling tears. Had anyone asked C.C., she would have liked to stay in his embrace until she'd woken up from this nightmare…

But there would be no waking up. There was no eleventh-hour salvation.

Horror was real, and she simply wasn't ready to face it.

When they eventually left the tub, Niles wrapped her in a towel, picked her up in his arms and carried her back to bed. From her position there (and after Niles had looked for her suitcase) C.C. guided his packing.

It wasn't long before there was quite a well-stocked case in front of them. But Niles knew they weren't done yet - this trip would be a long one, so C.C. was going to need to take quite a few of her things. Perhaps even most of the clothes she owned!

At least a little bit distracted by having something to do, C.C. might have been thinking along similar lines, as well.

"Can you please put my jewellery box in there, too?" she asked, gesturing in the direction of her vanity table. "It's on the side there."

Niles went to go get it, not wanting to waste a moment. They wouldn't have long before they had to go to the airport (he was going to insist on driving her), and he wanted to make the most of the time they'd have.

But as soon as he got close enough to see the (not so little) box - which had its lid open - he very nearly tripped over his own feet.

The box was stuffed with...well, with jewellery, obviously, but high quality jewellery! The kind you saw in store windows in London and Paris and Rome, no labels and clerks turning their noses up if you asked how much it was. Diamonds and pearls, rubies and sapphires, emeralds...all inlaid in gold and platinum...

Necklaces, bracelets, rings...she had at least three of everything, in every design and shape imaginable!

It was...quite something, really. He'd never asked how C.C. spent the money she earned as a producer - that wouldn't be polite - but it was obvious now that she was quite the collector, in her spare time!

Composing and reminding himself that he'd seen other collections that were worth more than his entire life, he went to close the lid and pick the thing up.

Only to stop again, when he noticed the...the royal coat of arms of Genovia? Engraved into the wood of the lid?

Huh...it seemed that the box was just as expensive as the jewellery it held! There must have been a jeweller in the country that had been appointed the official jewellers to the crown, and they were proud enough to display their prestige.

He wondered if C.C.'s father had gifted her the box at some point?

It seemed likely. He didn't know much about the man, but he had heard C.C. mention he was a billionaire. He could have easily gotten the whole ensemble himself, probably. Again, not that it was any of his business – he was there to help her, not stick his nose in matters he shouldn't.

Very carefully, he closed the lid, secured the hasp with a small lock that until moments ago had been dangling from the small metal loop over which the hasp was fitted, and tucked it safely in her suitcase.

"There we are," he said, satisfied with his handiwork. "Now, do you need anything else before we start getting ready to go to the airport?"

For a moment, there was only silence from behind the butler. An odd, slightly awkward silence.

Thinking that perhaps C.C. had dozed off, he turned around. Only to find her, much to his surprise, still there, wide awake and staring at him.

He blinked, perplexed by both the quiet and the inaction. Usually, whenever there was a plan to be made or a deadline to meet, the producer was the first one to start!

He needed to know if there was anything they needed before they left - Genovia was a long way, and she wasn't going to be able to come back and get anything she'd accidentally left behind! It was just fortunate that she still had him around to look after Chester, or else they'd have to rush over to the Sheffields' first, in order to drop him off...

"Is there anything else?" he asked again, wondering if she simply hadn't heard him because his back was turned. "We're going to have to leave soon–"

"No!"

The word took him aback. Not just with its use, but also with its force.

What did she mean, "no"? Didn't she want him to see her off at the airport? Had he done something wrong that he didn't know about, or something of that nature (if so, he'd have appreciated her telling him!)?

He could only apologise for whatever it was, if so, but he still wanted to be there and make sure she got there on time and in the best mood she could be.

There was nothing more to it - he had to ask. If that was what she meant, why she was saying no and what he could do to rectify the situation.

"No?" he echoed, unable to help sounding hurt. "Don't you want me to drive you?"

She obviously heard and saw how upset he was, because she quickly pulled herself upright, climbed out of bed and hurried over to him.

"No, that's not it at all!" she cried out, cupping his cheek as soon as she was close enough. She appeared to be think how best to phrase something before she spoke again. "It's just that...well, I think my family might already be sending someone to pick me up. And I don't want you to have to go through all that trouble, when you're already helping so much..."

Niles felt his insides soften. As much as part of him worried that she didn't want him to go because she was embarrassed at the thought of being seen with him by her family (she obviously had to be meeting someone at the airport - not everyone in her family lived in Genovia), he knew he had to shake that off. They might not have defined what they were, but she'd never once appeared to be nervous or fretful about appearing with him somewhere they might be seen. He was worrying needlessly.

And even if that thought didn't take away the feeling, it did stop him from saying the wrong thing.

"I just...I just want to make sure that you get there safely."

Had this been a different time, place and situation, he might've added a zinger such as "the last time you were left to navigate a city by yourself, you destroyed Tokyo". But for now, all he could think to do was comfort.

And perhaps continue to try pleading his case.

"It's no trouble for me," he said, taking the hand on his cheek in his. "It's no less than I should be doing."

C.C. looked like she was trying to smile at him but couldn't fully manage. It wasn't exactly a surprise because her mind had to be on other things, but it didn't exactly set his mind at rest, either. He only wanted to do as much as he could, but he wasn't convinced that she was going to let him.

And that feeling only deepened when she actually managed to speak. Again, after some time spent looking like she was working out how best to put what she wanted to say.

"You don't have to do everything, Niles...! You're already doing more than enough, just here!" she gestured around at the suitcase and the rest of her home. Then she stepped forward, more into his embrace, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I promise I will get there safely. You don't have to worry about me."

Niles wasn't entirely sure he could agree with that last sentence. On top of being hyper aware and concerned about how she was feeling upon hearing of her father's condition, how she would be on the journey to the airport, how she'd be on the plane and how she'd be when she landed, he was also now starting to get a little bit alarmed about how much she was insisting that he didn't have to do anything else.

He'd already established (reasoned out the logic with his anxiety) that she had no reason to be snubbing him out of embarrassment. They wouldn't have been as they had if she was afraid of being seen with him.

But...but maybe...maybe she felt he was being overbearing? After all, she hadn't refused his support, or help with some minor things around the penthouse. But that was what they were – minor things. Perhaps this drive to the airport business was simply a step too far? Too much in a direction they hadn't yet taken?

Maybe she was simply asking him for a little bit of space, but trying not to hurt his feelings in the process?

He didn't really know, but he also knew it wouldn't be fair on her if he brought it up now. She had a lot on her plate as it was, and he wasn't going to make things worse. He supposed it was a matter of biting the proverbial bullet and putting on a brave face for her – she needed it, and again, he was happy to provide.

"Alright," he replied, pressing a soft kiss to her temple. "But I'll walk you downstairs – I was planning on going back to the mansion once you've left for the airport, anyway."

She wasn't able to refuse him then, nor did she try to. Instead, she thanked him for his help, kissed him, and went back to bed while he took care of her luggage, which was soon ready and waiting next to the front door. He didn't rush back to bed then, choosing to reheat the tea he'd prepared for her (which had grown stone cold in the bathroom) and prepare a small breakfast for her, upon her request.

They ate in bed, always in silence, but also always holding hands.

It might not have made the time go any slower, but at least it could potentially make it not feel so daunting. So lonely.

Niles hadn't had anybody around but his family when his father had died, and that hadn't exactly been enough until he'd been able to get to them. They all lived back in London - how could he be comforted in the way that someone mourning needed over a simple phone call? You needed closeness for that.

Closeness that he would provide, in the boundaries that she asked for (and even the ones that she didn't). He wouldn't press her again about things that simply weren't his business, and he'd do all he could in the place where she had said it was alright.

He just had to make sure she was as alright as she could be, before she left to go to her family. They'd know what to do when she got to them, but he wanted to reduce the chances of her being upset on the journey.

So, they stayed where they were, until it came to the exact minute where they knew C.C. would have to dress, or else risk being late and potentially missing her flight. Even then, they both knew that it was going to be a rush.

That was why Niles didn't stop and ask her about why she was putting on the most formal ensemble he'd ever seen her wear: a black, knee-length dress with a velvet band at the waist, black heels and a warm, double-breasted coat that reached just beneath her knees, also black. She paired it all with a hat (a bloody hat!) and some of the fine jewellery that he'd seen in her jewellery box and that she'd rummaged around in her bag for beforehand. The sight of it might have been...more than a little odd. He'd never seen her look so…sartorial?...not even when she'd had to attend the stuffiest business occasions. Maybe this was simply how things were done in Genovia? It was a millionaire's and billionaire's playground, after all – perhaps it was just more socially acceptable to wear that sort of thing on a plane?

Maybe it was so you could step off it looking as prim, proper and sharp as every other rich person around? That certainly made sense to Niles, after having worked around rich people for so long and having gain an idea of their mindset...

Either way, he didn't get to say much on the matter before the doorbell rang for them downstairs. And, much as they had suspected, it was the car that had come for C.C..

She insisted on taking her case, while Niles brought Chester. If the butler was going to leave for the mansion pretty much straight after the producer had gone, then the little dog might as well come down with them.

Though Niles didn't know if it was such a good idea to be holding him in his arms – he nearly dropped the poor little puffball when he saw what was waiting!

A long, sleek black limousine had pulled up in front of the building, taking up at least three spaces that would've been held for cabs, and out of it had stepped two of the burliest looking bodyguards he had ever seen in his life! They had to be as wide as they were tall, stretching their suits across chests that appeared to be made of wine barrels, and each wore an earpiece alongside an unchanging, grave expression. Niles didn't feel inclined to take a single step in their direction, unless told to, in which case he would automatically put his hands up in the air and fervently protest his innocence.

From the passenger seat of the limo then came a much more ordinary-sized man, just as formally dressed and precisely prepares, but also looking much more worried about moving things along.

Niles could already tell that this man had to be a butler, or at least another servant of some kind. But he didn't understand why all the extra formality – all the security, either! They'd be getting to the airport, and heading straight to Genovia, wouldn't they?

Although, the more he sounded it out in his head, the more it actually made sense. A billionaire's daughter was travelling through a busy airport, wearing more wealth on her body than a lot of people had in their bank accounts, and she was heading for one of the richest nations on Earth. Of course her family wanted to know she was protected!

Just as he would, and did.

The presumed butler approached C.C. at the steps to the building and gave a low bow.

"Many apologies for our lateness, Your Ro–"

"That is quite alright, Williams, thank you," C.C. cut him off quickly, before pulling her case forward. "Here – please put this in the back. We can be going in a moment."

The man bowed again, and got straight on with his work without another word.

A moment. It felt far too short – just as everything that had come before that day had felt too short. Niles would've given anything for an extra hour. A day, maybe. Just to spend some more time with her, before she had to go and be with her family. With her father, whom she did not have long left with.

He could only remind his aching heart that he would be there for her when she came back. He sealed that promise with himself – and silently with her – when she leaned in to kiss him.

"I'll call as soon as I can, okay?" she murmured when their lips parted.

"I know," he mumbled in reply, nodding and trying not to be overcome. "You do what you need to."

It was almost as though she was trying not to be overcome either, because her smile faltered as she kissed him again, long and hard, and stroked his cheek longingly before she reached down, told Chester to behave while she was gone, then turned and walked to the limo.

With a blown kiss and a door shut by the man C.C. had called Williams, she was gone from sight. The limo was, too, shortly after.

But Niles stayed where he was, looking off into the distance where the vehicle had become a dot that eventually vanished. He didn't look down, or even notice time had passed, until he felt Chester put his head in the crook of his elbow, sighing and whining as much as his tiny body could muster. He clearly wanted to go where his Mama had.

Niles took in a breath of his own and nodded, petting Chester's back gently.

"I know, little guy...I know..."

He then put the puffball down and together they made their way back to the mansion, hearts heavy in their chests and wishing for the safe (and speedy) return of their C.C..


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Eight o'clock. On an ordinary day, Niles would've been thinking about what was due to be on television that night, after he'd finished clearing away the dishes from dinner, drying everything off and then putting it all away. And after checking the living room and the rest of downstairs was clean, too, of course.

He was still doing all of those things, of course, but he hadn't been able to take his mind off C.C. long enough to even think about the TV Guide. His thoughts drifted, like his brain had left his body to invisibly float alongside her as she'd made her way through the airport, onto the plane, and then touched down in Genovia. Only he couldn't see any of it happening, obviously, so all he could do was wonder about what she could be doing, seeing, thinking or feeling...

Had she eaten? He couldn't be sure. She hadn't seemed to feel like it much earlier, even when they'd had breakfast. Had she taken a nap on the plane? That didn't seem likely, if what he thought was true and Genovians preferred to look their best when they landed...he had too many questions in his head, and he had no way of answering any of them!

Not until she called, anyway. But when would that be? She'd said "when she could", but that didn't specify a time, a day, or...well, anything! Obviously he understood that her priority had to be her family, but it would've been nice to hear from her that day...

Even if he could just tell her that he missed her.

He hadn't been the only one, either. Chester hadn't exactly taken to the idea of being in the mansion without his mistress this time around – he'd spent half an hour barking at the front door, before hurrying through all of the rooms where he'd been able to smell C.C.'s lingering scent, perhaps thinking she was hiding and not actually in a far-off country doing something the little dog would never understand.

After much whimpering that the butler had only been able to empathise with, he let the Pomeranian up onto the green loveseat in Maxwell's office. Chester had promptly curled up, still whining about how this clearly wasn't his mistress even if it smelled like her, and had fallen asleep with his little snout buried in the cushions.

Niles wished it was so easy for humans to calm themselves down. All it took was a comforting, familiar smell to calm a dog down enough to sleep. He was going to find it exceptionally more complicated than that.

Usually, the television relaxed him enough to help him drift off. But as he shuffled upstairs and switched his set on, he knew it wasn't going to happen this time around.

Especially not when he found the channel already on the news – on a story, as it turned out (because God had clearly decided he hated him that day) coming from Genovia. And the newsflash headline made him feel as reminded of C.C. and her own predicament as ever.

Genovian Crown Prince Diagnosed With Terminal Cancer

Niles frowned to himself. He couldn't imagine what the poor bugger – prince or not – had to be going through. He didn't know what it was like to have to wake up every day to such a terrible disease, to know that your life was going to be so much shorter than it should've been...

The family must've been devastated. Both to lose the son that they must have adored, and to lose the heir to the throne of Genovia, in one fell swoop...!

It had to hurt beyond all belief. If it was anything like what C.C. had gone through earlier in the day, when hearing about her own father, then the prince's family had to have been destroyed by it from the inside-out!

It was hurting him, even thinking about it. And he'd never met C.C.'s father, or the crown prince!

Life really didn't seem that fair. To strike down people like that, without any warning or justice to it whatsoever...

In spite of himself (and well aware that he'd end up making the longing for her much, much worse) Niles reached over for the remote and turned the volume up. He seldom watched the news before going to bed (he preferred late-night rom-coms, though he wouldn't admit it to anyone) but today he felt like making an exception.

He was lucky – the anchor had only just contacted the foreign correspondent, a young twenty-something year old girl with an overly white smile and copious amounts of blonde hair that swirled about her heart-shaped face. She was the stereotypically attractive girl that news channels liked to recruit.

Her name was Cheryl, apparently. Typical…

"Can you hear us, Cheryl?" asked the anchor, speaking a little louder than he would have usually done so that the correspondent could hear him over the swirling Genovian wind.

"Yes, Marvin, loud and clear," said the girl, flashing that white smile of hers. "Genovians are still in shock with the news – the Crown Prince is a well-loved figure here, as you know. The situation is especially devastating because this is the second Crown Prince to face an untimely death – His Royal Highness' older brother died in a tragic car crash in 1965."

Niles could feel his stomach turning into knots. This was the second prince to die?! Gosh, he couldn't imagine how the Queen must have been feeling. Losing a child was hard enough for her to suffer that loss yet again! The anchor was actually saying something about the people rallying at the palace's gates in a show of support for their beloved Queen, Clarisse Renaldi.

"Her Majesty is waiting for her granddaughter, who has just landed after having flown in from America," said Cheryl. "Although she will soon be second in line to the throne, she's lived in New York City since her parents divorced."

"Ah, yes" said the anchor, smiling. "This might come as a surprise for our viewers, but Her Royal Highness Princess Chastity Claire of Genovia is actually a well-known Broadway producer – here she prefers to go by C.C. Babcock."

Just as the anchor spoke those words, the image cut to a figure emerging from the plane, clad in nothing but black clothing and being saluted by the Royal Guard. A 5'10", blond-haired figure that went by the name of C.C. Babcock.

The realisation - the understanding that he'd heard it right, that he'd seen the picture correctly and it wasn't about to morph into something completely different and less devastating - hit Niles with the force of a bomb.

It blasted him backwards, too, until he stumbled, yelping in confused surprise, and hit the end board of his bed, toppling over until he crashed down onto the mattress, before immediately scrambling upright again to launch himself at the television, grabbing one side in each hand and staring at the screen.

C.C. Babcock was a princess?! An actual, honest-to-God member of a royal house, with more land and money and titles than the ordinary person could ever even dream of?! How?! How had no one ever noticed this about her? How had he never managed to find out before now?!

How had he gone twenty years of knowing a person, only to suddenly be told of the biggest thing about them?! Why hadn't she told him any of this herself, back when they'd first started...doing what they were doing?! Even if it had been just a little heads up so that he'd know what to do if the press ever came calling! She had to have known that this would be coming eventually, and yet she hadn't done a single thing to stop it, or to slow it down, or to even it!

She...she would have known that if this was ever to happen to her, she'd have to leave everything else behind and become a queen?!

A queen of an entire country, while he remained a lowly, crawling butler with nothing more to live for than the little snippets of affection she cared to toss his way!

Because that was what would happen, wasn't it? He was no more worthy of being with a princess or a queen than he was entitled to become a prince or king himself, so he'd obviously have to go!

Even if the thought sent resounding shockwaves through his heart, cracking and potentially shattering the old thing, he still knew that it was true. And even if it wasn't, it wasn't like they could simply carry on as normal, was it? He wasn't enough for her, and that would be pointed out every day of their lives by all the people who needed her most, and who knew that she could do much better than him.

How could this have happened?! How could he suddenly feel himself so on the edge of everything, waiting to be pushed, only for C.C. to be the one to shove him over into the abyss?!

It...hurt. Everything about it was complete agony, from the tearing at his heart over her leaving and the most bizarre betrayal (what else was he supposed to call it when she could've told him all of this so long ago?!) to the swirling and spinning of his mind as it tried to still figure out how any of this was even possible!

It didn't feel like it should be possible! He kept waiting for some confirmation that it wasn't, even as he watched C.C. move along from her honour guard to the crowd of gathered servants - an entourage that bowed to her like that Williams fellow from before.

Niles felt his insides twist. She already had a servant for practically every need imaginable...

They practically swarmed around her as she made her way to the waiting limousine that would no doubt take her to her family home...

Her family palace, he thought bitterly.

How could any of this be real?! Why was it not a nightmare that his mind had conjured up out of a combination of missing her too much and too much rich food (he might've been snacking between meals since she'd left)? He could do easily picture himself having gone to his room to settle in for the night, only to find out that he had fallen asleep without even realising!

But why wasn't that the case now? Why did he actually have to be living the worst nightmare he'd ever had – a nightmare he would never be able to wake up from?!

What could he do to make it better – to make the whole thing go away, and leave them as they were? What could he say? He'd pay money in a heartbeat if he knew everything would go back to normal at the end of it, but who did he offer it to, in order to make it happen?!

But there was no person. He couldn't say or do anything to make reality go away, even if that was what he would prefer.

He watched for a second time as C.C. drove away in a limo.

He...he simply had no options, did he? There was nothing he could do, apart from let the whole thing happen...

Soon, she'd call him to thank him for the memories and then she'd go on to become a royal heir with her own array of duties and engagements. He'd get to see her every day on TV, just as he'd someday watch he walking down the aisle towards some charming, debonair fellow who'd most likely make her happier than he ever could.

That was and would always be his place – he was but a bystander, only allowed to see but never taste the metaphorical feast of life.

And she...well...she was at the head of the table and wouldn't care for some pathetic little urchin such as himself. It was what it was, and as usual he had to bite the proverbial bullet and carry on as if nothing had happened.

No longer in the mood to hear about Genovia or anything concerning to the nation, he moodily switched the TV off and slumped in bed. He didn't even attempt to change into his pyjamas – why bother when he already knew we probably wasn't going to be able to sleep at all?

Why bother when the dream he'd nursed with love and care had been shattered beyond repair?

* * *

C.C. looked out of the limousine window and tried but failed to suppress a groan at the sight of the Royal Palace growing ever-nearer. The car had slowed practically to a crawl as it made its way up the driveway, but if she asked the driver to go slower, they'd come to a halt entirely!

And as much as she was dreading passing through those gates and suddenly becoming "Your Royal Highness" to absolutely everyone and being passed around from place to place and person to person, she hated the thought of being stuck outside with the Press that were camped out there even more. The camera flashes going off just beyond the tinted glass were nothing short of blinding, and it was lucky really that the metal body of the limo was too thick to hear the shouted questions, or commands for her to step out or open the window so they could get a word in...

Her father had regularly made deals with news channels, radio stations and papers from all across the world before, when she'd come to Genovia for functions and balls and family birthdays, so the footage would never be shown in America. He'd wanted nothing more than to protect her privacy, so that she could have as much of a "normal" life as she wanted, while she lived in New York. They all knew what journalists were like – they never stopped if they thought they were on to a good story.

And a half-foreign princess living and working as a Broadway producer was a smorgasbord of stories for a hungry reporter, looking for their big break.

None of that would matter, though, the second her father was no longer with them. The deal would be void, and she'd be left open. Vulnerable.

He'd once told her, back when she was little, that he'd be there to protect her from everything. It had seemed like a promise he'd always be able to keep, back then...

She was terrified of having to see him. Was he going to look sick? Frail? Would it be taking him so quickly that he'd have lost all of his weight, the colour in his cheeks...the sparkle in his eyes...?

Was she going to see the end, as her father wasted away in front of her, while there wasn't a single damned thing she could do about it?

She didn't want her Daddy to go...

She had to blink hard to stop the tears from sliding out after that thought. She didn't want the entourage to suddenly pounce on her, if they saw that she was upset.

She'd have time to be upset when she'd made it to her family – until then, she couldn't afford to slip up. It was yet another constraint of royal life; feelings weren't in vogue, and as such should be kept under wraps.

C.C. had been told many a time how her grandmother hadn't cried in public back when her first son had died. Not even once. She'd kept her composure in spite of her pain and had even walked behind his casket as a final _adieu_.

Privately, of course, she had barely had strength to get out of bed, and would often spend her days locked in her room, crying, while Stewart had taken care of things for her. Grieving wasn't a luxury they could afford – they had a reputation to uphold and a country to represent. That was simply how things ought to be done...

And that was exactly why C.C. had dreaded this moment.

She'd believed that she still had a few more decades until having to step up into her role as heiress, but now that her father wouldn't stay around long enough to be crowned king, her freedom had been cut short.

Painfully short.

C.C. knew her grandmother had been about to abdicate in favour of her son, but with him out of the picture the responsibility would fall on one person: _herself_.

Had it been at the forefront of her mind, with no other restrictions or sorrowful, agonising thoughts getting in the way, she might've been having a panic attack at the very thought. Again, she'd imagined that she'd have decades to learn what to do, where to go and how to behave, before she was even supposed to get near the throne!

And she knew it would've been up to her - her father had refused to marry again, after divorcing her mother. She was the only legitimate heir, what with her older brother Noel only technically being a half-brother, who was adopted by her mother when she met, fell in love with and married their father...

It was a pity that their Uncle Albert had never had children with his wife. It would've been all theirs, had they existed. C.C. wouldn't have had to give it a second's thought!

She could have seen her father through the end of his days in Genovia, and then quietly returned to her life in New York. She was more comfortable passing by crowds in the busy streets than passing laws in a parliament. She knew how to command a stage full of actors, not a palace full of servants, stewards and assistants who all insisted on trying to make her life better somehow.

She was used to the quiet of her penthouse, high above the chaos and angry demand of the city below. But there would be nothing but demand, once everything that was coming had...well, been and gone.

She was walking into that gilded birdcage, and once the door was shut, there was no coming back out.

It would mean goodbye to her old life. The queen of an entire country couldn't exactly just waltz off for weeks at a time to ensure that the latest off-Broadway production of Chicago went off without a hitch, could she? She'd have more important things to be dealing with; matters of state, phone calls to other world leaders, charity events, visiting her troops, personal letters and correspondence – the list was endless! Her schedule would be full from that moment onwards and she didn't even know what half the stuff would be until she woke up every morning and some steward handed her a diary with the itinerary already mapped out!

That was going to take time to get used to. She was, obviously, accustomed to having her own schedule and being able to do things in her own time. But the moment she became queen, that would be straight out the window, along with the career she'd loved with all her heart from the moment she'd gotten started...

She had to push down the weight of that sadness, before it got the upper hand. She may have loved her job, but she'd known all along that she'd have to leave it for Genovia one day. Besides, it wouldn't mean that she had to say goodbye to New York forever. Her friends were still there – the Sheffields, the women she had lunch with that had married into the elite of New York society (that, admittedly, she also didn't like nearly as much as the Sheffield family)...

Niles was still there, too...

She didn't even know how she was going to approach the situation that would come with him. How was she even supposed to begin telling the butler what was going on?!

The very thought made her...uncomfortable, if she was honest. There was very little in her life that she hadn't prepared for in advance (or had set up to prepare for in advance), but now she was going to be thrown practically straight into something unplanned!

Granted, she hadn't exactly planned what she'd already been doing with Niles, but now it was going to have to take a completely different direction!

How did that conversation even start? "Hello, Niles, I can't come back to New York because I'm a princess and I'll be heir to the throne of Genovia when my father, who you'll remember has terminal cancer, dies?"

And what would Niles do in return? Would he not believe her at first? Be angry that she hadn't told him? Sad, because she was moving away from New York?

Would...would he decide that it was best they didn't see each other anymore?

The mere thought of it threatened to send her into a spiral of uncontrollable grief, but she somehow managed to keep it together – probably because the last thing her father needed was for her to have an emotional breakdown. She was there to support him, not the other way round, and she knew that her father would drop everything (even his own comfort in his last hours) to help her.

She supposed she had no other choice but to put her conversation with Niles in the back burner until further notice. It was probably for the best – she had far too many things on her plate already, and was not ready to have any sort of emotional conversation with the butler.

When the limo eventually made it to the palace's door, Williams hopped out and quickly rushed to open the door for the princess and helped her out. She made an effort not to wince at the retinue of servants and guards that were waiting for her at the entrance. She nodded a polite greeting at them and quickly made her way into her family home, all the while trying to block the screams and flashes coming from the press outside.


End file.
